Vincentian Family refers to organizations that are inspired by the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century priest who "transformed the face of France."

He directly founded the Confraternities of Charity (today known as the A.I.C.) the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. Frederic Ozanam

Frédéric Ozanam

Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam was a French scholar. He founded with fellow students the Conference of Charity, later known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul...

, inspired by a Daughter of Charity, Rosalie Rendu

Rosalie Rendu

Blessed Rosalie Rendu, D.C. . She was the eldest of four girls. Her parents, simple living mountain people and small property owners, enjoyed a certain affluence and true respect throughout the area. Baptized the day she was born in the parish church of Lancrans, she was given the name Jeanne-Marie...

, founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Sr. Betty Ann McNeill, D.C. has written a definitive work identifying some 268 institutes that meet at least one criterion as members of the Vincentian Family. The Vincentian Family, inter alia, has, as its incumbent head, Father G. Gregory Gay III, C.M., of Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, the incumbent worldwide superior general

Superior general

A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...

 of the Congregation of the Mission, elected during the community's general assembly (June 5 - 29, 2004) in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

Opus Prize Finalist

In August 2007, the Catholic University of America, (with the Opus Prize 2004 Foundation), announced that it would award in November a $1-million and two $100,000 Humanity

Humanitarianism

In its most general form, humanitarianism is an ethic of kindness, benevolence and sympathy extended universally and impartially to all human beings. Humanitarianism has been an evolving concept historically but universality is a common element in its evolution...

 prizes to organizations which contributed to solve most persistent social problems: Father John Adams (of So Others Might Eat, which serves the poor in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

); Brother Stan Goetschalckx, F.C., (founder and director of AHADI International Institute in Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

, which educates refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

, Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

 and Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

); and Vincentian

Vincentian

Vincentian can refer to:*A citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines*A person from Saint Vincent , the largest island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines*A member of one of the Roman Catholic orders or societies in the Vincentian Family, including...

 priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 Rev. Norberto Carcellar, C.M.

Lazarists

Congregation of the Mission is a vowed order of priests and brothers associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations who claim St. Vincent de Paul as their founder or Patron...

, (of the Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, which helped squatters in Payatas, Quezon City

Quezon City

Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...

, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 living on garbage

Waste

Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...

 dump

Dump

Dump generally refers to a place for disposal of domestic waste. See articles at midden and landfill.-Other uses:The word has other uses alone or in combination and may refer to:* Dump , a Unix program for backing up file systems...

). Victor Nakas of the Catholic University of America, an Opus Prize Foundation partner, said that The Opus Prize is the 1953 vision of founder Gerry Rauenhorst. The 2007 Opus Prize was officially handed out at Catholic University's Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. On November 8, 2007, Rev. David M. O’Connell, CM, president of Catholic University personally bestowed these Opus Prizes of over one millions dollars for systemic change projects to these Vincentian Family priests and brothers.

External links

• AIC International
• Congregation of the Mission
• Vincentian Academy -- International Baccalaureate Programme
• Daughters of Charity
• Vincentian Family News
• Vincentian Family Tree Project
• Vincentian Studies Institute
  Vincentian Studies Institute
  The Vincentian Studies Institute of the United States , at DePaul University, Chicago, is a Roman Catholic organization with a mission to promote the Vincentian Family....
  
  at DePaul University, Chicago, US
• Vincentian Encyclopedia
• Vincentian Lay Missionaries
• VMY - Vincentian Marian Youth
• Gateway Vincentian Volunteers